Use of corticosteroid is not associated with improved outcomes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients admitted to the hospital with acute exacerbation (AE), reveals a recent study. In addition, corticosteroids may even contribute to reduced overall survival following exacerbation.

Acne is a common skin problem seen in primary care. Dr Wong
Soon Tee of Assurance Skin Clinic at Mt Elizabeth Novena Hospital, Singapore
shares his insights with Pearl Toh on how to manage acne in the primary care
setting.

Catheter ablation cuts long-term dementia risk in AF patients

24 Mar 2020

Catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) appears to decrease the risk of dementia in the long run, a new study has found.

The study included 787 AF patients (mean age, 54.1±11.5 years; 70.1 percent male) who underwent catheter ablation. The new onset of dementia was monitored over a mean follow-up duration of 9.0±2.6 years. The participants were compared against two other cohorts: AF patients who did not undergo catheter ablation (n=787) and no-AF controls (n=770).

Over the study duration, 139 new cases of dementia were reported. The incidence rate was lower among AF patients who received catheter ablation relative to both the no-ablation and control groups (4.78 vs 6.92 and 6.00 per 1,000 patient-years).

Over the same time span, 732 AF-related hospitalizations were reported. Incidence was similarly lower in AF patients with vs without catheter ablation (68.7 vs 81.1 per 1,000 patient-years).

Adjusted multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses confirmed that AF patients who had not undergone catheter ablation were at a significantly greater risk of dementia than controls (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.71; p=0.047), while AF patients with vs without ablation were less likely to develop dementia in the long run. Risk comparisons between ablation patients and controls were null (p=0.93).

In addition, AF-related hospitalizations were less likely to occur in AF patients who had vs had not undergone catheter ablation (HR, 0.72; p<0.05).

Use of corticosteroid is not associated with improved outcomes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients admitted to the hospital with acute exacerbation (AE), reveals a recent study. In addition, corticosteroids may even contribute to reduced overall survival following exacerbation.

Acne is a common skin problem seen in primary care. Dr Wong
Soon Tee of Assurance Skin Clinic at Mt Elizabeth Novena Hospital, Singapore
shares his insights with Pearl Toh on how to manage acne in the primary care
setting.